Developer Training – Various Options for Maximum Benefit – Part 4

If you have been reading this series, by now you are aware of all the pros and cons that can come along with training. We’ve asked and answered hard questions, and investigated them “whys” and “hows” of training. Now it is time to talk about all the different kinds of Developer Training that are out there!

On Job Developer Training

The most common type of training is on the job training. Everyone receives this kind of education – even experts who come in to consult have to be taught where the printer, pens, and copy machines are. If you are thinking about more concrete topics, though, on the job training can be some of the easiest to come across. Picture this: someone in the company whom you really admire is hard at work on a project. You come up to them and ask to help them out – if they are a busy developer, the odds are that they will say “yes, please!” If you phrase your question as an offer of help, you can receive training without ever putting someone in the awkward position of acting as a mentor. However, some people may want the task of being a mentor. It can never hurt to ask. Most people will be more than willing to pass their knowledge along.

Extreme Programming

If your company and coworkers are willing, you can even investigate Extreme Programming. This is a type of programming that allows small teams to quickly develop code and products that are released with almost immediate user feedback. You can find more information at http://www.extremeprogramming.org/. If this is something your company could use, suggest it to your supervisor. Even if they say no, it will make it clear that you are a go-getter who is interested in new and exciting projects. If the answer is yes, then you have the opportunity to get some of the best on the job training around.

In Person Training

When you say the word “training,” most people’s minds go back to the classroom, an image they are familiar with. While training doesn’t always have to be in a traditional setting, because it is so familiar it can also be the most valuable type of training. There are many ways to get training through a live instructor. Some companies may be willing to send a representative to you, where employees will get training, sometimes food and coffee, and a live instructor who can answer questions immediately. Sometimes these trainers are also able to do consultations at the same time, which can invaluable to a company. If you are the one to asks your supervisor for a training session that can also be turned into a consultation, you may stick in their minds as an incredibly dedicated employee. If you can’t find a representative, local colleges can also be a good resource for free or cheap classes – or they may have representatives coming who are willing to take on a few more students.

Benefits of On Demand Developer Training

Of course, you can often get the best of all these types of training with online or On Demand training. You can get the benefit of a live instructor who is willing to answer questions (although in this case, usually through e-mail or other online venues), there are often real-world examples to follow along – like on the job training – and best of all you can learn whenever you have the time or need. Did a problem with your server come up at midnight when all your supervisors are safe at home and probably in bed? No problem! On Demand training is especially useful if you need to slow down, pause, or rewind a training session. Not even a real-life instructor can do that!

When I was writing this blog post, I felt that each of the subject, which I have covered can be blog posts of itself. However, I wanted to keep the the blog post concise and so touch based on three major training aspects 1) On Job Training 2) In Person Training and 3) Online training. Here is the question for you – is there any other kind of training methods available, which are effective and one should consider it? If yes, what are those, I may write a follow up blog post on the same subject next week.

Pinal Dave is a technology enthusiast and an independent consultant. He has authored 11 SQL Server database books, 21 Pluralsight courses and have written over 3800 articles on the database technology on his blog at a http://blog.sqlauthority.com. Along with 14+ years of hands on experience he holds a Masters of Science degree and a number of database certifications. For any SQL Server Performance Tuning Issue send email at pinal @ sqlauthority.com .

Nupur Dave is a social media enthusiast and and an independent consultant.